Love You Like That
by theauthorwearsprada
Summary: It's Jubilee's Sweet Sixteen. PyroJubilee. Takes place between X1 and X2. WARNING: No badass Pyro here. This story is fluffier than cotton candy.


"Love You Like That" by theauthorwearsprada

Summary: It's Jubilee's Sweet Sixteen. Pyro/Jubilee; takes place between X1 and X2. Major fluff.

Disclaimer: Marvel owns all the characters; all I own is the plot. The song is called "Never Say Goodbye" by JoJo, from her self-titled album. And yeah, she owns that. So that's pretty much it.

Jubilation Lee couldn't stop smiling at herself in the mirror due to pure excitement. Tonight was the night of her Sweet Sixteen. She was wearing a gorgeous blue dress that complemented her sapphire-colored eyes. Her long, black hair was piled up onto her head in an elegant updo.

Jubilee walked away from her full-length mirror and sat down patiently on her bed. She was waiting for her escort, John Allerdyce, to come and get her. Jubilee and John, or Johnny, as she affectionately called him, had been best friends since they had first come to Xavier's. They often banded together to make fun of Bobby and Rogue whenever they got all lovey dovey. Now she was turning sixteen and in true best friend fashion, John had offered to be her date.

_It was a bright and sunny day as two of Professor Xavier's students found themselves relaxing under on oak tree on the grounds of the school. John was sitting at the base of the trunk and Jubilee was seated next to him, resting her head on his shoulder._

"_So have you started planning your big Sweet Sixteen yet?" John suddenly asked._

"_Oh, yeah. I thought that planning out a huge party would be a drag, but it's actually been pretty fun. Jean, Miss Munroe, and Rogue have been helping me out. It's gonna be really fun!" Jubilee grinned._

"_So have you found a date yet?" John inquired._

_Jubilee took her head off of his shoulder and looked at him. "Well actually, no. Why do you ask?"_

"_Well, since you don't have a date yet, I was just wondering if maybe I could escort you?" John's face flushed a little pink._

"'_Escort' me?" Jubilee wrinkled her nose. "That sounds so medieval." She grinned at John's obvious discomfort._

_John rolled his eyes. "Okay, well then let me modernize it for you." He cleared his throat and leaned back. "Hey baby girl, can I take yo' fine ass to this lil' party?"_

_Jubilee laughed. "Johnny, don't ever say anything like that again. Ever. And yes, you can take my fine ass to the party."_

Jubilee smiled a little when she remembered that day under the oak tree. Then she heard a little knock on her door.

"Hey, Jubes. It's me."

Jubilee instantly recognized the sound of her best friend's voice. "Come on in, Johnny."

John opened the door to her room and walked inside. As he took in the sight that was his best friend, his jaw all but dropped. John was used to Jubilee's wacky but trendy fashion sense that seeing her like this surprised him. He could hardly take his eyes off her. She looked mature and sophisticated and… beautiful.

He gave her a little wolf-whistle. "Wow, Jubes. You look gorgeous."

Jubilee grinned. "Thanks, Johnny. You clean up pretty well, too." It was the understatement of the century. Jubilee was in shock over how dashing John looked in his tux. She knew he was cute, but she had never seen him look so handsome before.

John laughed. "Well, I have a surprise for you. So close your eyes."

The petite Chinese girl instantly obliged. "Ooh, I love surprises! Is it a present?" She waved her arms around in front of her, trying to find the large box that surely contained an awesome gift.

The sight of Jubilee reaching out in front of her like a little kid at Christmastime made John laugh even more. "C'mon now, Jubes, you're never gonna get it if you keep flailing your arms about. Now hold your hands out."

Jubilee smirked, her eyes still closed. "Alright, alright…"

She felt a small box suddenly drop into her open hands. "Okay, now open."

Jubilee looked at the neatly wrapped gift sitting in her hands. She smiled up at John and said, "Oh, Johnny, what's this?"

"Well you're never gonna know if you don't open it," John replied.

She rolled her eyes at him and unwrapped her present. Under the gift wrap was a little white box, which she opened. Inside the box was another box, which looked suspiciously like…

"Oh, Johnny," she breathed, opening up the box.

Sitting on a little white pillow was a dainty white pearl necklace. Jubilee gasped. She looked up at John, her eyes wide with surprise.

"Johnny, it's wonderful!" She carefully picked up the necklace and examined it.

"Here, let me help you," John offered. He took the necklace out of her hands, walked behind her, and attached it around her slender neck.

Jubilee turned to her full-length mirror to look at herself. "Oh my gosh, Johnny. It's absolutely perfect. It's lovely and magnificent and stunning and…" She trailed off.

"And it's probably horrifically expensive; Johnny, I can't take this from you." She looked at his face through the mirror.

"No, no, it looks great on you. It would be sin for you not to wear it tonight," he said in complete honesty.

"But Johnny…"

"No buts," John interrupted. He turned her around to face him. "Jubes, it's your Sweet Sixteen. Tonight is supposed to be really special, and that includes the stuff you get. You're my best friend, Jubes. Always have been. So you deserve it."

Jubilee smiled at his little speech. "Thank you."

"You're very welcome," John replied. "We should get down there now; everyone's waiting for you." He offered his arm to her, and she took it smiling radiantly.

"Alright, let's go."

* * *

When Jubilee and John walked into the grand ballroom, everyone broke out into applause. Jubilee was positively beaming, and John felt like the luckiest guy in the world to be here with such a beautiful girl. But he was going to keep that thought to himself. For now. He led her to a small, circular table in the front reserved for the birthday girl and her closest friends. Already seated were her two other best friends, Bobby Drake and Rogue.

"Hey, birthday girl!" Bobby grinned at her, getting up to give her a hug. "So I guess I owe you sixteen punches, huh? Oh, plus an extra one for good luck!"

"Ha ha," Jubilee responded. "You punch me, and I'll paf you. Just a warning," she said with a sweet smile.

"Fine then, take away my fun," Bobby pouted.

"So does sixteen feel any different, sugah?" Rogue asked.

"Y'know, you'd think it would. But nope, I still feel like the same ole Jubes," she answered, smiling.

During dinner, various people ranging from her classmates to her favorite teachers came by her table to wish her a happy birthday.

When Jean and Storm came by, she got up and gave them both a hug. "Thanks so much for helping me with my party. You guys did such a great job!"

"Well you did most of it, so you should be the one proud of a job well done," Storm said warmly.

"Thanks, Miss Munroe," Jubilee said, smiling.

After everyone finished eating, it was Jubilee's favorite part about birthdays: birthday cake. There was a huge smile on her face as Scott came by and placed sixteen candles on the very top of the cake. John flicked his lighter and lit all of the candles at once. Being led by Bobby, the conductor extraordinaire, the crowd began to sing "Happy Birthday." She couldn't help but crack up when she saw Bobby's over exaggerated movements as he conducted her guests while standing on his chair. When the song was over, everyone broke out in applause. Jubilee was about to take a deep breath to blow out her candles when a hand suddenly covered her mouth.

Jubilee looked to the right of her and found that the owner of the hand was John. "Not yet. Make a wish, first," he said with a sweet smile.

She grinned and closed her eyes. _Hmm, what should I wish for?_ Jubilee pondered. _A new car would be nice. Preferably, a black Mercedes-Benz C350 Luxury Sedan with all-wheel drive. But I doubt Scott or the Professor would let me have a car, let alone a Mercedes. Wow, this is taking longer than I thought. Eh, might as well wish for the car. Who knows?_

She opened her eyes and blew out every candle with a single deep breath. Jubilee laughed and clapped her hands along with everyone else. _Maybe I should ask Scott about that car later…_

Jubilee picked up a large knife sitting by the cake and began to cut it into pieces. A long line of guests began to formulate in front of the table for a slice. Each person gave her a warm "Happy birthday!" before getting their piece. After everyone was served, Jubilee finally got to dig in to her cake. It was so good that she quickly finished her first slice and began to contemplate about getting another.

_Mm, so much chocolate-y goodness. I must get another!_ Jubilee thought. Then she looked down at her stomach. _No, I must resist. Well, unless I _want_ my dress seams to burst open._

Soon came time for the toasts. The first person to stand up and say something was one of Jubilee's favorite teachers, Scott Summers.

"When Jubilee first came here, she was just another lost little orphan. But through the years, we've all learned what an amazing young woman she is. To overcome all the things that she has overcome and accomplish all the things she has accomplished took a great deal of courage and strength. Jubilee is someone who should be admired and respected. Now that she's taking her first steps to adulthood, I cannot wait to see what else in store for her. Happy birthday, Jubilee."

She looked up at Scott and mouthed, "Thank you." She was truly surprised that her teacher has thought so highly of her. He gave her a nod in return and sat back down.

Jubilee heard someone to the left of her clear their throat. She turned to look and saw the mock serious expression of none other than Bobby Drake. "Oh, great," she moaned softly.

"Hey, maybe it won't be too bad. I mean, it is your birthday. Bobby'll go easy on you," John said, trying to reassure her, even though he knew for a fact that Bobby was going to pull all the stops on this special occasion.

She turned and raised her perfectly-sculpted eyebrows at him. He laughed and squeezed her arm.

Bobby stood up. "I must agree with my beloved instructor in saying that Miss Jubilation Lee is an amazing young woman. Her power and intelligence will one day be a very valuable asset to the X-Men. Why, I remember one encounter she had with them. They were just getting ready for a very important rescue mission. Jubilee was trying to convince them to let her go along because she believed that she'd be helpful in achieving their goal. Alas, she didn't believe that she was getting anywhere with them while she was yelling at them from the top of the stairs. So my good friend proceeded to run down the stairs. In her haste and obvious devotion to her belief, Jubilee got a little caught up and slipped all the way down, landing on her pretty little face. Well, maybe she didn't get all that caught up because she had a little assistance in tripping. Slipping, actually. On ice." He stopped her and grinned as the crowd was laughing at Jubilee's expense. "By the way, I had nothing to do with the ice. Honest! Anyway, it turned out that poor ole Jubilee couldn't join them on their little mission because she had broken her ankle falling all the way down the stairs. And look at her now, sixteen and all grown up. I applaud you, Jubilee. Have a great one." And with that Bobby sat down.

Jubilee felt her face heat up. She couldn't believe that Bobby had brought up one of her most embarrassing moments. It's one thing to fall down the stairs, but it's a completely different thing to fall down the stairs while trying to prove how mature and capable you are. She glared over at Bobby, who was grinning like a Cheshire cat.

_Oh, he's so going to pay later,_ Jubilee thought. _I'm gonna give him a paf he'll never forget._

The last toast of the night was from none other than John Allerdyce, Jubilee's date and best friend. He stood up nervously with a wineglass full of apple cider in his hand. He cleared his throat loudly, and got even more nervous as everyone's eyes fell onto him. He looked down at Jubilee and saw warmth and reassurance in her beautiful blue eyes, and he knew he was going to be alright.

"Well, I'm not really very good at this kinda stuff. I mean, I'm not funny like Bobby, and I don't know how to be all formal like Mr. Summers. So I guess I'm just gonna tell the truth. Jubes is probably one of the greatest girls in the entire world. She's loyal and caring, and she's always been there for me. I still remember the day I first met her. The thing that made me notice her was the sound of her gum popping."

John paused here since everyone started laughing. He looked down at Jubilee when he felt her pinch his leg. He smiled at her sheepishly. When the guests settled down, John continued on. "I also remember the very first thing she ever said to me. 'Hey, I think you've got something on your face...' So I looked in the mirror and lo and behold, I had a moustache and goatee drawn on my face in permanent marker, courtesy of Iceboy here." John paused for laughs again. Bobby stood up and bowed.

"Well I guess what I'm trying to say is that Jubes is pretty much the most extraordinary girl I've ever met. I hate to be all mushy and crap, but everyday I'm thankful that I ever met such an awesome girl like her."

John looked down at Jubilee again and noticed that she was beaming up at him. The fact that he was making her so happy at the moment made him smile. He addressed her directly as he finished up his toast.

"Jubes, you're pretty much the best friend I've ever had. And… I love you."

The guests all toasted John's heartfelt speech. Jean and Storm were sighing about how adorable puppy love was. Bobby was grinning because John had finally admitted that he was funny. The reactions to his toast were assorted, but they all had one thing in common: appreciation.

As John sat down, Jubilee looked away from him, thinking about what he had just said. Those were some of the nicest things that anyone had ever said to her. It was hard not to feel so special and flattered that she was on the receiving end of those words. She also thought about the very last thing he said, words no one except her parents had ever said to her before. And by a boy, nonetheless! "I love you." She replayed him saying those words over and over again in her head. Instead of feeling embarrassed or slightly confused, Jubilee actually felt elated, like she was on Cloud 9, or whatever that saying was. She couldn't help but notice how right it sounded. She didn't know what to do. Should she tell him she loved him, too? Did she love him? Jubilee didn't know. All she knew was that she realized at that point how much she really cared for John, and how happy he made her all the time. She thought about how John always treated her with respect, even when she was being a huge bitch due to that time of the month. She thought about how when she saw John in the hallways or during lunch, she always found herself unconsciously smiling. And she especially thought about those rare moments when she would look into John's eyes and the world would stop for a moment because all she could think about was him. She stopped herself. Man, what was it about John that made her get all corny? Seriously, it's like she was some romance novel writer all of a sudden or something. Jubilee snapped herself out of thoughtful mode and came back to her party. She turned to look at John, but found that he was looking the other way.

Meanwhile, John sat beside her, trying to hide the utter shock he was feeling at that moment. He couldn't believe his ears.

_Did I really just tell Jubes that I loved her?_ John thought incredulously.

He felt her staring at him, but he couldn't turn and look her in the eye. He was still feeling the aftermath of proclaiming his love for her. He was feeling so many different things at once that he didn't know exactly what he was feeling. The only feeling he was sure of was the feeling that saying that he loved Jubilee felt so unexplainably _right_.

The DJ suddenly announced that it was time for the first dance. John couldn't hide right now; he had to look at her. Since he was Jubilee's escort, he was the one she would have her first dance of the night with. He turned to face her, and was calmed by the fact that she was smiling serenely. He held out his hand, and she took it, smiling as they walked onto the dance floor.

_Never been in love_  
'_Cause a girl like me never had someone to care for  
Never thought there could be  
Someone special for me_

"Oh my gosh, I love this song," Jubilee whispered as she put her arms around John's neck.

"I know. That's why I told the DJ to play it," John replied softly. He placed his hands on her tiny waist.

_And now I'm all in love_  
'_Cause a girl like me waited patiently for someone  
Someone to care for me  
And there will never be_

Jubilee smiled at him. "Oh, Johnny," she murmured. "You always knew." She rested her head against his chest.

As Jubilee laid her head, she kept thinking about John's words even though she was willing herself not to. She wasn't sure if she should ask him about it, or if she should just pretend like nothing was going on. But something _was_ going on. Something that was completely alien to her. She was feeling something that she had never felt before. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but she knew that she liked it. Was it… love?

_No more lonely  
No more just me  
I've been there before, I ain't goin' no more  
And now that you're here I never wanna say goodbye, love  
Never wanna be without you_

Jubilee finally decided to suck it up and just ask him about it. She knew that if she didn't ask him now, she never would. And if she never asked him about it, she would regret it for the rest of her life. She knew she was being dramatic, but it's just how she felt. She couldn't change that. So much was going through her mind right now, and she knew that if she put it out in the open, it might help clear her head. For a girl who knew so many things, she had never felt so confused in her entire life.

"Johnny?" Jubilee asked. "Can I ask you something?"

"Anything," John answered.

_No more cryin'  
No denyin'  
I'm in love with you  
And now that you're here I never wanna say goodbye, love_

"It's about your toast."

John gulped. He had been hoping for this exact moment _not_ to happen. He had hoped that Jubilee would just thank him for his kind words and they could go on being best friends. He still hoped that maybe this was the exact scenario that would play out. He hoped that hope was going to be enough.

_Now it's time for me  
To find out what a first time love could mean  
Little scared, but it's cool_  
'_Cause it's worth it_

"What about it?" John asked nervously.

"Was what you said true?" Jubilee asked looking into his eyes.

"Which part?"

"All of it."

Jubilee waited expectantly for his answer. She didn't know what she wanted to hear, but something told her that whatever John said was going to make her feel better, irregardless of what it was.

_Now I finally  
Fell in love  
And I know that it  
Gots to be for real  
It's the way that I feel  
So come share my world with me  
So there will never be_

By this point in the song, several couples had joined them out on the dance floor. Bobby and Rogue were dancing close by, her gloved hands resting on his shoulders. Jean and Scott were swaying slowly to the rhythm of the song, looking into each other's eyes.

"Of course it was, Jubes. Everything I said about you was true. You're every bit the amazing girl that I said you were."

"Thanks, Johnny," she replied softly. "I just wanted you to know that you're the best friend I've ever had, too."

John waited, hoping that there would be more to it. When he realized that she had stopped, he hated himself for feeling a little disappointed. "Thanks, Jubes."

Jubilee smiled up at him. Then she went back to resting her head on his chest.

John sighed inwardly. It was at this point that he realized what he wanted. He wanted her. He wanted to be with her. He wanted to be the one that she kissed and held tightly. He wanted her to tell him that she needed him, that she loved him. He wanted her to look into his eyes and see beyond the piercing brown color and into his soul. Those eyes. Those sapphire blue eyes. He could never get those soulful eyes out of his head. I guess that should have been the first sign that told him he was falling in love with her. He loved it when they were looking into his own, whether it was with amusement or with exasperation. Because there was always that warmth there, even when she was completely frustrated with him, he always noticed that constant twinkle in her eye that told him she could never stay mad at him. She was The One, he knew it now. But alas, his love was unrequited. John knew that Jubilee would never love him the way that he loved her. She only saw him as her loyal best friend, Johnny. Knowing this made him feel a little bit depressed. Then he became angry with himself for being so ungrateful. She was already in his life, wasn't she? Even though she wasn't in his life the way he wanted her to be, at least she was there. And if just being friends was what Jubilee wanted, then who was he to try to fight it? He would just have to settle. Because he knew for a fact that he would rather be in her life as her best friend than nothing at all.

_So I'm standin' here  
Arms open wide  
Ready to give my heart  
I'm sure this time  
Love's gonna last for life_

Jubilee noticed John's face switch into that expression he wore when he was really thinking about something. So she used this time to think about what she had just said. It was true; John really was the best friend she'd ever had. But something in his face made Jubilee know that he was waiting for something more. Maybe a response to his three-word statement said earlier that night? She thought about saying it back, but she wasn't sure what his reaction would be. When they were dancing in silence earlier, she tried to figure out whether or not the thing she was feeling was love or not. But the more she thought about it, the clearer the answer became and the stupider Jubilee believed herself to be. With all that shit she was thinking about his eyes and the smile she had plastered on her face when she saw him in the room, it was obvious. What else could it be? She looked up at his face and saw that he was still in thinking mode. It was kind of starting to make her anxious.

"Johnny, are you okay? You seem kinda preoccupied," Jubilee said, a little worried.

John snapped out of his thought process. "Oh, I'm sorry, Jubes. I'm fine. I was just thinking, that's all."

"About what?"

"Uh, nothing really," John replied nervously.

"Oh, I see," Jubilee said. "Well I was thinking, too."

"What were you thinking about?"

"You, me. Us…" Jubilee trailed off.

A little glimmer of hope shined inside John's heart. "Us?"

"Yeah," Jubilee responded. "I was also thinking about the very last thing you said in your toast. Y'know, about how you said you, um, loved me."

_This conversation could go either way right now,_ John thought. He decided to remain silent and let her go on.

When Jubilee noticed that John wasn't about to say anything, she continued. "Well, I've come to a conclusion."

John could feel his heart pounding rapidly inside his chest. "What's that?"

Jubilee took a deep breath. "I've decided that, well, I think, no wait, no, I _know_, that," she stammered, "I love you, too."

_Baby, I know  
Things change  
And there might  
Be some rain  
But the clouds are gonna clear  
And the sun is gonna shine again  
Shine light on our love, baby  
So let's make it last forever_

John looked down at her in surprise, but she had already put her head back against his chest. _Did I hear her right? _John thought. _Did she actually say that she loved me too?_

_No, there's no way that she actually said that. I probably just hoped for it so hard that I heard her wrong. I bet she said that she loved me as a friend and I missed the end of it._

John decided not to ask her about it now and just wait for the song to end. As the chorus played for the last time, he felt Jubilee's grip around his neck tighten as she pulled herself closer to him. He wrapped his arms fully around her waist so that he could pull her closer to him too. John couldn't help but notice how right this felt. If only she felt the same way.

The song ended, and John suddenly felt a pair of warm, soft lips on top of his own. It took him a second to realize what was going on, and then scolded himself for that second wasted. Jubilee moved even closer to him and deepened the kiss. She opened her mouth slightly, allowing his tongue to slip in and explore the inside of it. She tasted sweet, like strawberries, and he loved every second of it. He felt her fingers intertwine with his hair, and he responded by caressing her bare back with his hands. John felt like fireworks were going off in his head, and he was pretty sure that they weren't her pafs. Finally, they parted. Jubilee looked into his eyes, and sure enough, he felt her looking into his very soul. She smiled softly at him, breathing heavily.

_This is what heaven must feel like,_ John mused. He knew he was being cheesy, but hell, this whole night his mouth was spewing the corniest stuff, and his mind wasn't helping either.

"Do you wanna know why I got you that pearl necklace?" John asked.

"Why?" Jubilee responded, surprised. That was really the last thing she was expecting him to say.

"Because when I first saw it, I knew that I had to have it. Even though it was expensive, I knew it would be worth it. It was simple and beautiful. All of these things I noticed about it reminded me of the first time I saw you," John said. It was true. The signs were all there the very first time he laid eyes on her, and he couldn't believe that it took him all this time to finally realize that he was in love with her.

Jubilee blushed, extremely flattered that he thought of her that way the very first time they had met. "Thank you, Johnny."

He smiled down at her. "I was actually really surprised when you kissed me."

She looked up at him inquisitively. "Why is that?"

"Because I didn't know you loved me like that."

"Yeah," Jubilee said, smiling. "I love you like that."

**THE END**

A/N: Thanks for taking the time to read. Reviews are greatly appreciated.


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